There Will Be a Dawn
by rayrae118
Summary: Sort of sequel to my other story "The Thing About the Past". Not necessary to read, but it might make more sense if you do. Callen runs into an old foster sibling while working on a case. Rated T for some slight hints to abuse.


**This was something I had toyed with, but not really seriously considered, until I got a review suggesting it. As it was submitted by 'guest', I can't thank you personally, but I do appreciate your support, and I'm glad you want to read more!**

**The title of this story is from Superchic(k)'s song _Beauty from Pain_._  
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**Summary: sort of follow up to **_**The Thing About the Past**_**. Callen meets a former foster sibling for the first time in several decades. Not necessary to read the first story, but it might make more sense if you do.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot**

**"THERE WILL BE A DAWN"**

Callen looked at the scene in front of him and frowned. Already, people were starting to gather, just behind the police tape. He made a mental note to make sure Eric was on damage control for any pictures taken by all the cell phones people were holding up. It wouldn't do for any of their faces to make it onto the Internet just because some people were fascinated by murder.

"What do we got?"

Callen turned slightly to look at his partner. Sam had just pulled up and was regarding the gawking pedestrians with the same sort of passive disgust as he was himself. Didn't they realize that a man had died?

Sam's cough drew him back to the present, and Callen shrugged, glancing over at the few LAPD officers who were still on the scene, mostly doing crowd control. "LAPD called us in, apparently the vic had a military ID on him. They called Deeks, who seems to be getting specifics right now."

Indeed, LAPD liaison Marty Deeks was conversing with his fellow officers, glancing at the victim every few seconds. After a few more minutes, he concluded his conversation and made his way over to Sam and Callen.

"Vic's name is Andrew Casey," Deeks informed them as soon as he was close enough. "He's a Navy Lieutenant, on leave from the USS Virginia. LAPD's gonna make notifications to the family."

"Wife?" Sam asked, raising an eyebrow.

Deeks shrugged. "Widowed, from what I heard. He's got a kid, and they're trying to track down parents or siblings."

"Did they happen to mention why the body's still here?" Callen asked, trying – and failing – to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

Deeks winced slightly, hoping that the animosity he heard in his superior's voice was all aimed towards the LAPD officers involved, and not him. "The coroner's backed up, apparently there was a car accident earlier. He'll be here as soon as possible."

Sam nodded his understanding, while Callen just stared, mentally coming up with a plan. "Deeks, you and Kensi go talk with Casey's commander, see if he knows why the lieutenant might have been killed." Deeks nodded, and went to collect Kensi before they left the crime scene.

When the detective and agent were gone, Callen turned back to his partner, simultaneously pulling out his phone and calling Eric. The self proclaimed 'surfer geek' answered on the second ring, and proved, once again, why NCIS paid him the big bucks. Ok, so it wasn't that much, but at least he proved why they kept him around.

"Hey, Callen, I found the kid," he answered without being prompted. "He's in the custody of two officers at Griffith park. LAPD's already called social services, so you better hurry if you want to beat them there."

"Thanks, Eric," Callen replied, smiling internally, though he remained stoic for the crowd surrounding him. He would never admit how much he really liked the geeky tech guru. "Call us if you find anything interesting."

"Already planning on it," Eric responded before hanging up and getting back to work.

Callen put his phone away, and with a head jerk for his partner, the two of them headed back to the car for the drive to Griffith park.

**XXX**

"You OK?" Sam asked, watching his partner out of the corner of his eye as he drove. Callen made no response besides the slight tensing of his jaw, an act that would have gone unnoticed by anyone other than Sam.

It had been almost four months since Callen's slight breakdown, where he had shared so much about his past. And yet, Sam still found himself hoping to hear more. As much as he hated to hear about what his best friend had suffered through, he was so glad that the other man finally trusted him enough to open up. That particular night had been hard on both of them, but he had been able to achieve a new level of confidence with his partner afterwards. They had definitely gotten closer.

Which was why he knew something was wrong now. Callen was too quiet, and in his experience, Callen and quiet spelled trouble.

After a moment of silence, Callen sighed. "I'm just hoping this kid has some family, somewhere," he admitted quietly, and in that instant, Sam understood.

Callen never really talked about his childhood, especially in public and apart from a few mentions here and there, but it was always present. Foster care had really screwed him up, and Sam could see why he was hoping another kid wouldn't have to go through it.

"Do we know anything?" Sam asked, slowing down for a red light before turning to face his partner.

Callen took out his phone and read the file that Eric had emailed him. "Name's Jacob Casey, eleven years old. Student at Winthrop Elementary School, didn't show up for class today. They called his father, but no one answered." He closed and pocketed the phone. "I think we can guess why."

Sam held in a snort and shook his head. Trust Callen to try and deflect personal questions with jokes. He always did that, and usually, Sam let him. Just as he would this time, but only for the moment. He made a mental note to bring it up later, but for right now, they had a case.

The light changed, and both agents fell into silence for the rest of the trip. Callen seemed lost in his own thoughts, and Sam couldn't help but think about that night, four months previously. He hadn't really been expecting much from his partner, and had been surprised – both positively and negatively – when the senior agent had opened up and shared. Sam hated what his friend had had to go through at such a young age, but he could see the child he had been in the man he had become. So many facets of his partner's personality had clarified in the wake of those revelations.

They arrived at the park, and both agents pulled themselves out of their morose thoughts. Two officers were stationed by several empty picnic tables, so Sam and Callen headed in that direction.

Sam pulled out his badge and showed it to the officers, who dutifully stepped aside, and the boy they were looking for was visible. He appeared to be shaken, but holding himself together, mostly because of the young woman sitting next to him. the former SEAL furrowed his brow as the woman looked up, smiled slightly, and then turned back to the child next to her.

One of the police officers filled him in, in a hushed tone. "Ms. Baker found the boy and called us. He told her that the bad men came for his dad, who told him to run and hide."

"They were at the park?" Sam asked, studying the child, who appeared to be calming down a little bit more.

The second officer nodded. "They were apparently playing hooky. His dad wanted to spend some time with him while he was on leave, he had to report back for duty tomorrow."

Sam turned slightly to face the officer and nodded his understanding. "Thanks," he replied. "G, do you think –" Sam cut off abruptly as he realized that his partner was no longer standing next to him. He turned around, searching, and found him standing, stock still, approximately ten feet away. Frowning, he started to make his way back to his partner, but before he got more than three feet, Callen seemed to snap himself out of it, and quickly joined them.

"Who's that with Jacob?"

Sam tried not to stare at the urgency in his partner's voice. That tone seemed both cold and detached, but there also seemed to be a note of fear hidden in it that put Sam instantly on edge.

Both officers were unskilled in picking up the subtle tones in the agent's voice, but could tell that he needed an answer, and he needed it yesterday. The first officer responded, "Ms. Karen Baker, sir. She's a –"

"Prosecutor for LA county," Callen finished, not taking his eyes off the woman and child in front of him.

He didn't say anything more, so Sam took the liberty of dismissing the officers. Once they were gone, Sam turned back to his partner. "G? You all right?"

He didn't hear a response for several long moments. It didn't escape his attention that the senior agent knew the woman's profession, nor did it escape his attention that her name was Karen. He remembered very clearly what Callen had told him about the young girl he had lived with for a short time when he was a child, and he remembered what had happened. All of a sudden, the day got a whole lot more complicated.

Callen bit his lip, swallowing harshly before steeling himself and continuing to make his way towards the woman he had known so long ago, and the young boy she seemed to be protecting.

Sam watched him walk away, giving him a few moment's head start before following, though not without giving the officer who tried to joke about his partner having to deal with an angry ex-girlfriend a scathing retort.

Callen didn't bother waiting for his partner. He knew the former SEAL would be right behind him. When he was a few feet away, he finally came to the attention of the two people he was there to speak with.

The agent put on a reassuring smile – hoping that that was what it actually looked like – and held out his hand for the young woman in front of him, who had stood up on his approach. He noted with interest that by doing so, she had conveniently placed herself as a shield for the young boy behind her.

"Ms. Baker," he said calmly, for all the turmoil inside, as he shook her hand firmly, "I'm Agent Callen, NCIS. I understand you were the one to find Jacob?"

He noted and filed away the slight widening of her eyes at his name, and the way her gaze seemed to narrow thoughtfully afterwards, though she answered his question readily.

"Yes," she replied, "I was on my way back to my office from my lunch break, and I saw him hiding. When he told me about what happened, I immediately called 911."

Callen nodded, sensing his partner coming to a rest by his right shoulder. He was about to speak, when the lawyer continued talking, lowering her voice slightly so that the boy behind her couldn't hear. "He's a little shaken up, and really scared. I think he trusts me though, so would it be all right if I stayed with him for now?"

Callen and Sam shared a look, before agreeing to let her accompany Jacob back to the boathouse.

On receiving the agreeing nod, Karen went back to speak with Jacob for a minute, and Sam turned to study his partner. Callen looked to be holding himself together by sheer force of will alone. He knew better than to ask if the senior agent was all right.

Callen was aware of the scrutiny, and was mostly successful at stamping down the irritation that arose. Instead, he grit his teeth and said quietly, "Don't start, Sam."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "I wasn't going to say anything," he replied, just as softly.

Callen looked over, face blank, trying to judge the validity of that statement. He couldn't see any deceit in his partner's concerned gaze, but before he could say anything more, Karen was heading back towards them, leading a scared-looking Jacob behind her.

Sam was about to speak – it was an unwritten rule that he was usually the one to handle child witnesses, seeing as how he had experience dealing with kids, having them himself – when Callen stepped forward, squatting down so that he could be closer to Jacob's height.

"Hey, Jacob," he said quietly, a soft and sad smile on his face as he studied the eleven year old.

Jacob looked up at the strange man in front of him, but didn't speak.

"My name's Callen," the agent continued, voice remaining soft and calm. "I'm an agent with NCIS. Do you know what that is?"

He stopped and waited for a response, which came after a few moments. "Naval Criminal Investigative Service. You're like a cop, right?" Callen nodded. "Can I see your badge?"

Callen chuckled lightly, taking out the shiny object and handing it over for the kid to study.

Jacob fingered the badge, running his hands over every groove in the metal, before looking back up at the agent in front of him.

He didn't speak, but Callen didn't really expect him to. Instead of waiting, he just kept smiling, and said, "Why don't you hang onto that for me." Jacob nodded silently, and Callen stood back up. With a half glance at Karen, who was watching the scene with something of a knowing look in her eyes, he turned around and began to lead them back to the car.

Karen, watching the agent interact with the young boy she was determined to take care of, until alternate provisions could be arranged, became even more certain of just who the man in front of her was. She recognized his protecting nature, his ability to set people at ease, and his talent for understanding what other's needed. Oh yes, she knew exactly who Agent Callen was. Or at least, who he had been. Throughout the entire ride to wherever they were going, she contemplated the agent sitting in the front seat. She remembered those few weeks, when she was twelve. She remembered the bruises, and the worse injuries that her protector had suffered, throwing himself into the line of fire, so that she and the younger boys wouldn't get hurt. After it was all over, they had been shipped off to new homes, new families, and had never seen one another again. She had often wondered what had happened to the others, but had never had the nerve to actually try and follow through with finding out. She had especially wondered about Callen. He had taught her so much about survival, and he had looked out for her, like a big brother.

Thinking about the younger man she had known – because by that point, he really hadn't been a boy for a while – and the agent she had met today, she really could see the resemblance. He had always been a protector, a guardian. When she thought about him, over the years, she imagined him as a police officer, or an army man, someone with authority, whose job it was to look after those who couldn't necessarily look after themselves. There were so many who caved under the pressure of the foster care system, and ended up in jail, or living on the streets, or emulating the worst of their foster parents. The fortunate ones were able to rise above it. It hadn't been easy for her, and she suspected the same of Callen, but they had done it. They had refused to let _them_ win. All the foster parents, and the social workers, and the teachers, and everyone who had written them off as a screw up, the freak in foster care, a waste of space. Karen knew they were some of the lucky ones. They got out. They made something of themselves.

The car pulled into a lot near the marina, and they all piled out, heading into a slightly rundown looking boatshed. Both civilians looked around a little, noting the couches, and the worn out table set in front of a rather impressive looking flat screen.

Callen moved immediately to the few amenities they had set up on an out of the way counter, setting on a pot for coffee, before pouring two glasses of water and returning to their guests, still standing somewhat awkwardly in the middle of the room. Both accepted the water gratefully, as Callen suggested they sit down.

Jacob immediately took a seat on one of the couches, holding his cup in two hands, sipping from it every few seconds as he resolutely stared at the floor.

Karen sat next to him, turned slightly towards the boy, though her attention remained focused on the two agents in the room.

Sam had taken a phone call, while Callen had drifted back to the coffee pot, keeping himself busy to avoid having to make any small talk with the woman who had once been something of a little sister to him, even if had just been for a few weeks once upon a time. No matter what had happened back then, he still felt like he had failed her in some way.

Sam hung up his phone, and looked over at his partner. "Kensi and Deeks are on their way back," he informed the other man. Callen jerked his head in a facsimile of a nod, and turned around a few moments later, two cups of coffee in hand. He passed one off to Sam, who took it with a nod of thanks, before he set himself and headed over to take a seat on the second, unoccupied couch.

The next hour passed rather soberly, with Callen taking the lead, asking Jacob questions about what had happened that morning, what he had seen. Sam was amazed at the compassion his partner was showing. He hadn't really ever seen this side of Callen before.

When Kensi and Deeks returned, they simply sat back and watched their boss work, both quietly amazed at the way he connected to the young boy. Especially Deeks; in all the time he had worked with these agents, he had never seen Callen as anything less than… hard, seemed to be the best way to put it. It wasn't that the senior agent was cold or unyielding, he just always seemed so in control and stoic. Like nothing ever fazed him. Suddenly, he found himself wondering if all that had just been a mask.

Finally, Callen looked away from Jacob, and realized that he had an audience. His whole team was watching him with varying expressions on their faces. Sam looked almost smug – like he had known all along that his partner had a soft side, even when others doubted – Kensi looked calculating, and Deeks just looked surprised. He carefully hid the embarrassment, and introduced the new agents to Jacob and Karen.

Pleasantries were exchanged, before Callen excused himself with the promise to Jacob that he would be right back, when the child looked at him, eyes pleading.

Karen waited almost a full minute, before she asked if there was a bathroom she could use. Upon being directed in the right direction, she immediately abandoned that path as soon as she was out of sight, moving towards where she had seen the senior agent heading.

She found him, outside a door that led to what she imagined was a separate room for interrogations, or something of the sort. "G?" she asked hesitantly.

Callen jerked slightly, looking up, an almost deer in headlights look in his eyes. He swallowed harshly, and the fright receded, back behind the ever-present mask he was so used to wearing. "Ms. Baker," he acknowledged, nodding his head slightly.

It was the way he didn't ask why she called him 'G' that told her he recognized her as well. She stepped forward uncertainly, stopping when she was only a foot away. Now that the moment was here, she wasn't quite sure what to say. She had watched him talk with Jacob for over an hour, bringing him out of his shell, getting the information they needed without making the kid feel uncomfortable, and she just kept thinking about that older brother she had known, the young man who had saved her from a horrible fate, who had almost suffered that fate himself, just because he didn't want her to have to deal with it.

Karen looked around the hallway nervously, before turning back to the man in front of her and silently begging with her eyes. The agent knew what she was asking, and nodded slightly, opening the door behind him and ushering her into the empty interrogation room.

Once the door was closed behind them, Callen turned back to the young prosecutor. He kept his face blank, waiting for Karen to speak. She seemed to start and stop several times, unsure of where to begin. After several tense minutes of silence, she finally looked back up, the determination in her eyes almost masking the fear and uncertainty.

She bit her lip nervously. "I don't think I really got a chance to thank you," she started quietly.

Callen shook his head, the blankness giving way to the same caring she had seen as he had interacted with Jacob earlier. "Yes you did," he corrected, "At the hospital." Karen flinched slightly, but didn't say anything, so Callen continued, "Besides, you were the one who called the cops. I suppose I should be the one thanking you."

Karen's eyes widened. "But you were the one who taught me how to pick locks. And you and I both know he would have rather taken me to his bedroom that night."

**XXX**

"Where'd Callen go?" Deeks asked, looking around as if hoping to see the senior agent pop out of a shadowed corner.

Sam turned to look at the LAPD liaison, the power in his gaze heating up; he mentally grinned when he saw the detective squirm slightly under his glare. "He's around," he replied tersely, refusing to give anything away.

"Shouldn't Ms. Baker have come back by now?" Kensi added, moving from the position she had taken as Jacob's consoler, since both adults he seemed to have grown attached to had disappeared for the time being. She settled at the table, sitting next to her partner, and subtly observing the former SEAL seated across from her. Sam looked worried. And it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that he was worried about their senior officer. Callen had always been an enigma, wrapped inside of a mystery, inside of a puzzle. Not that there was really anything wrong with that; she had nothing wrong with Callen, nothing at all. In fact, there weren't many people she trusted as much as her boss. As an agent, he was the best she knew. But as a person… well, he was a great man, though he didn't always seem to be the best when it came to social interactions. He'd rather spend a Friday night at a shooting range, rather then out at a bar, or in any type of situation where he would be required to interact with other people. But who was she to judge, considering she often felt the same way.

Deeks was about to respond – most likely with a reply that insinuated something completely inappropriate – when his attention was drawn to the flat screen TV. It had been showing the empty interrogation room for most of the afternoon. Only, it wasn't empty any more. The two people they had just been wondering about appeared on the screen, and seemed to be starting up what looked like a tense conversation, if their facial expressions were anything to go by. "I think I just found them," the detective said, bringing the attention of the other two to the television.

Kensi leaned forward, interested, while Sam seemed to be almost resigned, and the worry that had been apparent on his face deepened as he watched his partner. With a click of the remote, Deeks soon had audio playing, coming in halfway through a sentence. "—thank you," was all they heard, but it immediately had them interested.

"What do you think you're doing?" Sam asked, growling at Deeks with something akin to disgust in his eyes. Where the hell did this guy get off, thinking that it was all right to spy on his partner like that?

Deeks felt the fear spike, as the anger of the former SEAL focused on him, but he made no move to turn the audio off. "We're a team, we shouldn't have secrets," he replied by way of explanation.

Their conversation carried over whatever Callen had said in response to the thanks, though they all caught the words 'hospital' and 'cops'.

Sam wanted to grab the remote and shut the television off. He wanted to protect his partner, he wanted to let the other man keep his secrets. Unfortunately, before he could do anything of the sort, Karen's words permeated the tense atmosphere of the room, causing both Kensi and Deeks to let out startled gasps.

"_But you were the one who taught me how to pick locks. And you and I both know he would have rather taken me to his bedroom that night."_

Sam closed his eyes in resignation, and turned back to the television. Callen had his arms crossed, his hands gripping his upper arms tightly as he tried to maintain his composure.

Guilt worming his way into his gut, Sam listened to the conversation between the two on the screen.

Callen had snorted lightly. "You didn't deserve to have to deal with that," he stated, voice tight in an effort not to let any of his turbulent emotions out.

"Neither did you," Karen replied.

Callen shook his head. "You were twelve," he argued.

"And you were fourteen," Karen shot back, interrupting her one-time big brother.

Callen grimaced, looking down. "You were still a child," he disagreed, though the fight seemed to be going out of him.

Karen refused to give up any ground. "So were you," she countered.

Callen disagreed, "Not really," he shrugged, "not by that point. I hadn't been for a while. You still had a chance. I didn't want that to be taken away from you."

Karen looked like she wanted to argue, but she really couldn't. She sagged slightly, sinking into one of the two chairs in the room. She buried her face in her hands for a moment, scrubbing her eyes, trying to get rid of the burning feeling that spoke of the threat of tears. Once that act was done, she looked back up, noting the way Callen seemed to be leaning towards her slightly, ready to move should he be needed. She smiled lightly. "You're a good man, G," she said quietly. "That has never changed. Promise me you won't."

Callen let out a small smirk, one side of his mouth quirking up minutely. He nodded. "I won't," he affirmed, uncrossing his arms and holding them out.

Karen needed no further invitation; she stood up immediately, moving into his embrace and holding him tightly, even as his arms wrapped around her waist.

Still watching the scene on the television, Kensi, Deeks, and Sam were all surprised by what they were seeing. Callen was always aloof, never willing to show any weakness. Seeing him act so open this afternoon had been startling, but watching how he interacted with the young woman in that room was mind blowing. And the way he willingly offered himself up for a hug – actually initiating human contact – caught them all by surprise. When it came to the senior agent, that type of behavior just wasn't _done_.

Finally, Sam managed to collect himself enough to grab the remote from Deeks and turn the television off. The screen went black, and Sam let the remote clatter to the table.

Another minute passed in silence, before Kensi turned to look at the ex-SEAL, tearing her eyes away from the blank screen. "Did you know?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sam turned to face the junior agent. His eyebrow quirked upward, and his gaze narrowed slightly. "Does it matter?" he retorted, mostly successful at keeping the irritation out of his voice. He really wished he had been able to stop the rest of Callen's team from witnessing what they just had. He didn't _think_ they would judge him, considering they should know him better than that by now, but it still wasn't something they should have heard, the way they had. Callen was a very closed off person; he didn't share willingly, and he hated to show weakness.

Deeks seemed hesitant, but Kensi replied immediately, no indecision. "No," she stated firmly, meeting the former SEAL's gaze head on. "It doesn't matter."

Sam searched her steady gaze for a moment, reading the resolve there, before he nodded, somewhat relieved. His eyes softened as he regarded the junior agent. He knew she was a good agent, and he knew she threw one hundred and ten percent behind her boss. Callen was their lead agent, and when it came right down to it, she trusted him, without delay. Callen just inspired that kind of loyalty. Sam wasn't sure his partner even knew how much loyalty he had garnered in OSP. From Hetty to Eric and Nell, the agent had a whole plethora of people willing to go to bat for him.

Transferring his gaze to their liaison, Sam studied Deeks. The LAPD detective seemed to be thinking something through, though he met the ex-SEAL's stare after a few silent moments, and his reply, though quiet, had the same conviction as Kensi's.

"No," he said firmly, "It doesn't matter."

All three agents knew in that moment that they weren't just speaking about Sam's knowledge of his partner's past. It was about so much more than that. And all of them knew that what they had learned in the last few minutes really didn't matter. It didn't change anything. G Callen was so much more than a few bad moments in time. Those experiences had made him who he was today, and that man was someone they were all grateful to know.

A door slammed somewhere in the distance, and a few moments later, Karen returned to the main room, followed a minute later by Callen. Kensi and Deeks turned to a few files that were on the table, while Sam settled back and watched his partner unobtrusively.

Callen looked better. There really was no other word for it. His eyes seemed a bit brighter, almost as if he were holding back tears, but there was a lightness to his steady gaze that made him seem years younger. His shoulders were straighter, as if a burden that he had been carrying around for years was suddenly lifted. It was noticeable only now that it was gone.

Sam watched as Karen and Callen went back to Jacob, and he smirked as he saw the smile that graced the eleven-year-old's face when his partner sat down next to him. He knew Callen would never admit it, but he knew the senior agent loved kids. And what's more, he was good with them.

Callen looked up and met his partner's gaze, and in that moment, Sam felt reassured. An understanding passed between them, and as Callen turned back to Karen, and the child sitting between them, he once more affirmed his belief that Special Agent G Callen would be all right.

**XXX**

"What's going to happen now?"

Callen turned away from the car that was taking Jacob to his new life, and looked over at his companion. The rest of his team was still in the boathouse while he and Karen had escorted the young child out to meet his new social worker. He quirked a half smile, and shifted slightly closer, lifting his arm minutely as Karen leaned into his side, taking comfort in his sturdy frame.

"Social services will try and find any family he has. In the meantime, he'll be put into the system," he replied, voice soft.

Karen flinched slightly at the mention of foster care. She looked up, her eyes earnest as she pleaded with him, "Please, G, don't let him get lost. Promise me you'll make sure he's taken care of."

Callen leaned back a little, so that he could meet her worried gaze. There was no hint of a doubt in his eyes as he responded, "I promise." He smiled slightly and hugged her closer. "Listen to me, Karen, he's got family. His grandfather had a brother. We gave social services the information. His great uncle's son lives in Nevada. He'll be all right. A week or two, tops, and then he'll be out."

Karen nodded, biting her lip, as she looked down, relief evident in her expression. She was reassured that Jacob wouldn't have to go through what they had been through. She wouldn't wish that life on anyone, least of all an innocent eleven-year-old child.

Looking back at the agent standing next to her, she once again marveled at the similarities and differences between the kid she had known, and the man he had become. G Callen had been a hardened survivor by the time she had made his acquaintance; he hadn't trusted easily, and he was very wary of… well, pretty much everyone. All the same, she had seen a fierce protectiveness in him, evident in the way he had thrown himself into the line of fire to keep her and the younger boys from being harmed, whenever he could. She saw that same caring nature in him today. She could also see some of the distrust, but it was pushed back by the faith she could see he had in his team. He relied on them in a way he had never allowed himself to rely on anyone, as a child.

She was grateful for that; she had spent many nights wondering about the serious and cynical adult-in-a-child's-body she had known for so brief a time when she was a kid. She wondered if he was still alive, if he had found someone he could trust, if he had made something of himself. So many of her foster siblings had ended up living on the streets or in jail, but somehow, she had never envisioned that ending for Callen. Like herself, she knew he had gotten out. It had been a comforting thought for her, over the years.

Callen watched his former foster sister think, somehow understanding just what was going on in her mind. A cab pulled up at that moment, cutting off anything he might have been about to say, but he was fine with that. After all, they didn't really need to speak, to understand each other. He moved away and opened the door to the vehicle, turning around to watch Karen approach.

The lawyer did so, stopping before she got into the car, and pulled out a business card, which she hesitantly handed to the NCIS agent. "Don't be a stranger?" she said, making it sound more like a question than a statement.

Callen took the card and nodded, smiling as she slid into the cab, closing the door behind her. He watched in silence as the car drove away, once more thinking about the past he couldn't seem to escape.

He somehow knew when he was no longer alone.

Sam waited for his partner to speak first, which he did so less than a minute later.

"Go ahead, say it." Sam quirked his head to the side, confused. Callen, looking over and seeing his incomprehension, smirked. "I told you so," he clarified. "You told me I should make contact. Somehow, I thought it would go a lot worse than that."

"Yeah, well, you always were a 'glass is half empty kind of guy'," Sam commented, smiling.

"It's why we work so well together," Callen retorted, happy to fall back into the partner routine they did so well. "Someone needs to stamp down your annoyingly bright optimism." They both smiled at that. It was always so easy, with Sam. He never felt like he had to try to be anything other than he was. Sam just accepted his habits and shortcomings, recognizing that it was ingrained into who he was, and that he couldn't change that.

Sam watched his partner carefully, looking for any of the signs he had come to categorize over the years, any subtle hints that the lead agent wasn't all right. To his joy, he found none of those warnings; Callen actually seemed… at peace. Happy. Or at least, as close to happy as it was possible for him to be.

The two stayed there in silence for another moment, before Callen seemed to shake himself off, and turned back to head into the boat house once more. "Come on," he called back to the former SEAL. "We've still got a murder to solve."

Sam shook his head and followed his partner back inside. Callen was right, after all. They owed it to that little boy to find out who had killed his father. The past was always there, inescapable, unwavering, around every corner whether you needed the reminders or not. G Callen still had a lot of issues that he probably would never deal with, but for the first time in four years, he felt like his partner was beginning to trust him with more than just his back. That divide between professional and personal trust was starting to get smaller. And, the same as that night just a few months ago, a weight seemed to lift off his shoulders, leaving him feeling just a little bit lighter. He spent so much time worrying about his partner, and knowing that Callen was healing, and even better, knowing that he was helping with that process, even if it was just a listening ear, or a shoulder to lean on, made him feel calmer, more at ease.

And he truly believed that his partner would be all right. Because Special Agent G Callen just didn't know how to lose.

_I hope you like this sort-of sequel, and thanks for reading!_

_REVIEWS are always appreciated!_


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